Man Jailed After Posting Video on How to Remove Ankle Monitor to Facebook

posted by RJ Johnson - @rickerthewriter -

Oct 10, 2018

Never underestimate a man who is bored and on house arrest.

A Springfield, Missouri man is back in jail after allegedly filming himself using a butter knife and screwdriver to disassemble and remove an ankle monitor. Authorities say he then posted his impromptu tutorial to Facebook.

The video, which was shot in July, is still available on Dustin W. Burns' Facebook page.

According to the Springfield News-Leader, the 33-year-old pleaded guilty to violating a restraining order earlier this year with the judge sentencing him to probation that included authorities monitoring his movements using an ankle monitor.

The video begins with a man with his pants leg rolled up, with one hand using a butter knife to slide in and out of the device. At one point, the man uses a utility tool to unscrew part of the monitor.

"This is how you take an ankle bracelet off without breaking the circuit," a voice can be heard saying in the video.

The voice advises viewers that they want to remove the ankle monitor without damaging it, saving the felons from thousands of dollars in fines and a potential trip back to jail.

The video ends with the man fully removing the bracelet and showing it off for the camera. Authorities believe the man seen in the video is Burns.

According to court records, several probation violations were filed against Burns over the summer, with a warrant for his arrest ultimately issued in August. Burns was taken into custody and has been in the Springfield, Mo, jail since Aug. 28.

Previous posts on the Facebook account refer to trips taken to Utah, Boise, Idaho, and Oregon.

Video posted to the Facebook account in August appeared to show Burns walking through what a large marijuana farm with the caption, "Dream come true."

Burns was charged with tampering with electronic monitoring equipment, which is a felony. No attorney is listed in online court records.